Lockheed Martin has partnered with Dallas-based Southern Methodist University to tap the support of academia and industry in the Philippines for the country’s F-16 Block 70 multi-role fighter program.
The collaboration will allow Filipino professionals access to SMU tools and equipment for developing solutions and prototypes for the program and establish an advanced research laboratory and training space. It will also fund business development, government initiatives and academic programs.
The Lockheed-SMU partnership will also collaborate with major Philippine universities and companies to develop new capabilities and intellectual properties.
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Jess Koloini, Lockheed Martin F-16 business development director, said that besides supporting the Philippines’ Self-Reliant Defense Posture, the partnership will “also create a lasting impact on the Filipino workforce, driving economic growth and prosperity.”
Ben Zoghi, associate dean for advanced studies and industry partnerships at SMU, also described the collaboration as an investment in building Filipinos’ know-how. Furthermore, the partnership’s projects will enable Philippine academia and industry to harness digital innovation technologies in pursuing economic growth and global competitiveness, he added.
In April, the United States approved Lockheed’s potential foreign military sales of 16 F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft worth up to $5.6 billion to the Philippines.